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Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Joining Brotzeit's Kinder Koche was the last hurray of summer for Kyle. As all my friends know, I'm already a working mom since March of this year, so usually I no longer have the time to plan what activities that Kyle can do for this vacation. I used to be very 'OC' [read: obsessive compulsive] when it comes to matters like schedule especially for Kyle. As early as January, I would carefully plan what productive activities he can do during vacation. But as it seems, ever since I've started working again, I no longer have the luxury of time to do those.

Luckily, a blogger friend had given Kyle the opportunity to enroll in guitar lessons at Shangri-La Plaza Mall's Trumpets. So when he was also given the chance to join Brotzeit German Bier Bar and Restaurant's Kinder Koche, he immediately said he wanted to. You see, Kyle loves to cook, bake and do just about anything in the kitchen. Well, except perhaps for cleaning the dishes...

Brotzeit is a well-known Singaporean brand that offers genuine Bavarian cuisine in Asia. Kinder Koche (German for 'little chef') is an exciting program for the kids and their parents as they learn basic cooking and baking skills right inside the Broitzeit's kitchen along with its resident chef.

During the said Kinder Koche session, the kids were scheduled to make fladen or pizza from the scratch. On hearing this alone, Kyle became excited because he knew how to knead the dough. He's done them before when he helped me make some small empanadas. Besides, he's the oldest from his group. In the beginning, I thought he'd be a little awkward because of his age and height, but seeing him on his best element that afternoon, I knew he's really interested on what they were about to do.

Being a food blogger, I may not be an expert on food, but I am a certified foodie or gourmand. And Kyle who's tried eating homemade pizza dough from the scratch (he's got Tito Vlad, my friend's Ukranian husband to thank for) knew the difference between that and store bought. Pizza is a bit easy to make so kids can really help either by kneading the dough or putting in the toppings. So how would you know if the dough is ready?The dough is ready when it is glossy and tacky, but not sticky; a small amount pinched off can be stretched (by pinching and pulling) thin enough to let light pass through.

Take the dough out of the bowl and put it on a clean, well-floured surface. A wooden board or clean table is best. Make sure it is at a height where you are comfortable working. If it is very moist or sticky, sprinkle additional flour over the top.

Gather the dough into a pile and begin pressing it together. Press the heels of your hands firmly into the dough, pushing forward slightly.

Fold the far edge of the dough upwards, towards you, and press it into the middle of the ball. Rotate it slightly, too. Repeat this press-fold-turn sequence for the duration of the kneading process.

When the disk of dough has been stretched enough to start to be floppy, proceed to tossing.

Make a fist and drape the dough over your fist.

Make a fist of the other hand and slip it under the dough next to your other fist.

When the dough has reached about 8 inches (20cm) in diameter, you can quickly move your left fist in an arc that goes backwards towards your face. Do this while twisting your right fist forward away from your face. If you give a a little push upwards with your right fist the dough will spin like a Frisbee. Practice how it feels to balance the force of the fist twists equally. This will keep the pizza from spinning off into the corner (or worse).

Be sure to catch the falling, spinning pizza as gently as you can with your two fists to avoid tearing. However, if you notice that the dough is tearing, just start over, and do the spinning process again.

Here, I'm sharing Brotzeit Kinder Koche's Fladen recipe so that you can also enjoy homemade pizza and bond with your family while doing one. Fladen:1 gr Sugar, Fine1 gr yeast108 ml water Procedure: Combine all three ingredients together and leave for 5 minutes.125 gr All Purpose Flour54 gr Flour, Rye11 gr Flour, Dark Rye1 gr saltProcedure: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add the water with yeast mixture and knead.9ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil Procedure: Add into dough and knead until smooth. Divide mixture into 2 and form into a ball. Form the dough with a rolling pin. 1g Salt1g Oregano10ml Tomato, whole peeledProcedure: Combine all ingredients and spread into fladen. bake for 4 minutes at 200 degree Celsius. Top with your choice of ingredient. Bake for 5 minutes at 200 degree Celsius or until all cheese melts.

And voila! You're ready to indulge in your own homemade or made-from-the-scratch dough pizza! I'm sure your entire family will enjoy eating the fruits of your labor just as Kyle and the rest of the Kinder Koche kids did.

And guess what? All the Kids who participated in Kinder Koche went home with this awesome certificate! Each Kinder Koche course costs P1,500 and includes an apron for the parent/guardian, a shirt for the child, basic kitchen tools, recipe sheets and a Certificate of Completion. Special thanks to Mommy Bloggers Philippines for the opportunity.

Doesn’t that sound like a fun way to learn new things and bond with the kiddos this summer? For inquiries or to reserve your slot, phone (02) 631 1489 or email reservations@brotzeitphil.com. Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant is located at 112 Streetscape, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, EDSA.

Disclaimer: I am not compensated for this post. Opinions expressed are my own.